Case Study: Uranium in Queens?

In the Spring of 2014, the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) was cleaning out a vacant lot in the Borough of Queens when they found a metal cylinder that was about 25 cm in diameter and about 40 cm long that weighed about 30 kg. It had a cavity in one end, and the word “Uranium” was stamped in the metal on one side. There were also some projections at the top that could be used to carry the cylinder.

As DSNY inspected the site further, they found other items that appeared to be plastic buckets, medical tubing and needles of some sort – three or four sets in all – but these seemed to have nothing to do with the metal cylinder. Continue reading.